Food Fraud: Most Common Food Fakes

What is food fraud? Some food products and ingredients are deliberately tampered with or misrepresented, and some food packaging includes false or misleading statements made about those products — generally because its producers think it will sell better. Though most food fraud isn't seriously harmful or unhealthy — fruit juices, for example, are occasionally watered down or contain juice from other fruits not listed on the front label — it's important for consumers to know what they're buying. If you plan to pay top dollar for high-quality or exotic ingredients, check out our list first — some of the most popular products on your grocery store shelves may not be exactly what you think they are.Check out our list of cool cooking classes if you're looking to learn your way around a kitchen.

Wine

Wine

Your favorite cabernet or chardonnay probably isn't cause for concern, but it is important to buy wines from producers and manufacturers you trust. A scandal back in the mid-1980s drew the public's attention to the very serious problem of finding diethylene glycol in wines. Diethylene glycol is a clear, sweet, odorless liquid that can be toxic at high levels, and may be easy to confuse with other colorless, sweet (but harmless) liquids commonly used or added to wines and other foods. Since the '80s, no large-scale discovery of wine containing this toxic substance has been noted. Less physically harmful, but still insidious, are cases when cheap wine has been passed off as a more expensive variety (or even a collectible) with counterfeit labels, or wines made to seem more complex or aged than they really are with the addition of other juices, colorings, and spices.

Coffee

Coffee

Coffee is another easy item to fake, if it's already ground or processed before making its way to your local store shelves. Chicory, roasted corn, malt, or glucose — all common additives — are not harmful or cause for concern, but they're not coffee either, and will affect the flavor of your brew.

Tip: Buy coffee in its whole bean form and grind it at home, as it's more difficult to hide unwanted ingredients in this less processed form.